Editorial: Loray Mill preserves piece of important history

Time was when Gastonia’s movers and shakers wanted to turn a blind eye to the rich and significant history of the Loray Mill.

A bloody strike in 1929.

A woman union activist and a police chief killed.

A rallying cry for the Communist Party.

And headlines around the world that cast Gastonia in a most unfavorable light.

Don’t talk about. Forget it.

Scars remained for decades, scars so deep that in 1986 when the state wanted to erect an historical marker at the mill, city officials objected to any mention of the deaths and the Communist involvement in the strike.

The state put the marker plan on the shelf. There it stayed until 2007 when a new slate of city officials wisely asked that a marker finally be placed near the old mill to acknowledge its place in history, not only the history of Gastonia but also of North Carolina and the entire South.

History buffs and others who pass by the imposing brick building on Gastonia’s west side see the familiar state marker with the words originally proposed:

“A strike in 1929 at the Loray Mill, 200 yards S., left two dead and spurred opposition to labor unions statewide.”

Today, the Loray stands as proof to the adage “Time heals all wounds.”

A civic desire to cover over the Loray history has been replaced by a keen interest in the renovation project that is turning the empty mill into loft apartments, space for retail shops and, to the renovators’ great credit, a museum.

Thanks to the many years of hard work by Lucy Penegar, Preservation North Carolina and others in Gastonia who understand the significance of the Loray, the history of the mill and the entire Loray village will be captured and made available for present and future generations.

Despite the past feelings and efforts to sweep aside the Loray Mill’s history, there remains among many with Gastonia roots a sentimental feeling about the mill and the surrounding village.

The thousands who worked at the Loray over its many years of operation raised their families in the houses that made up the village. Those are the people who recall the tight-knit neighborhood made up of caring folks who looked after each other, shared what they had and taught their children solid values.

They understand more than anyone the importance of preserving the old mill and, with future good fortune, the surrounding area.

Because of its history – the strike and its impact on industry in the South for decades – the Loray Mill is a jewel set in Gastonia.

Times change. So, thankfully, do attitudes so that this significant piece of textile history can be preserved and civic shame replaced with community pride.